Warning: there are spoilers for the most recent episode of The Walking Deadfromhere on out.

Though it seemed like Rick had made the ultimate sacrifice in order to stop a horde of walkers, detonating the bridge that symbolically linked the Hilltop, The Sanctuary, and Alexandria, while his loved ones looked on helplessly.

Then, it was revealed that Rick had actually survived the explosion, and after being spotted on the banks of a river by Jadis aka Anne (Pollyanna McIntosh), she convinces her helicopter ride to take him aboard, flying him off to the promise of safety. So what does the future hold for Rick Grimes?

According to a report from Variety, Lincoln will reprise the role of Rick Grimes in a trilogy of upcoming films set in The Walking Dead universe. Scott Gimple, former Walking Dead showrunner and current Chief Content Officer of the overall property, will oversee the films, which he teased will be "big evolutions" from what we've seen so far.

"We’re starting with the first part of the continuing story of Rick Grimes, and there is much more on the way, featuring yet-unseen worlds of The Walking Dead and faces from the show’s past, as well as new characters we hope to become favorites, told by TWD veterans and emerging voices," said Gimple. "We want to break new ground with different, distinct stories, all part of the same world that’s captured our imagination for nearly a decade of the Dead."

Production for the features will begin sometime in early 2019.

As far as the series, there will now be another time jump, which features a (slightly) more grown-up Judith Grimes (Caily Fleming). This allows showrunner Angela Kang to fully take the show into the new era under her creative guise. Not to mention a new threat, The Whisperers, have been teased in AMC's sneak peek of the next three episodes.

Video of &#039;Strangers Are Coming&#039; Next on The Walking Dead

The Whisperers are a particularly brutal group of adversaries, who have survived the apocalypse by wearing suits of human skin, allowing them to blend in with the ever-growing herds of the undead. Their presence has been teased before, but now we know their arrival is imminent.

What do you think of all the big news about The Walking Dead? Let us know in the comments.